SACM - Ireland
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Item Restricted Impact of Chronic Pain on Adolescents’ School Functioning and Pain Management Interventions in the School Setting(2023-07-19) Alsaggaf, Fatimah; Coyne, ImeldaBackground: Chronic pain is a widespread issue in children’s health that has a widespread impact on daily activities including participation in school settings. Thus, effective pain management has been emphasised to lessen the impact of adolescents’ chronic pain on school functioning (World Health Organisation 2020). A systematic literature review revealed a need for further research to explore the impact of adolescents’ chronic pain on all aspects of school functioning and the effective school personnel’s responses to managing pain in schools. Furthermore, there was also a deficit of empirical research about adolescents’ experiences of chronic pain in Saudi Arabia. Aim: To explore the impact of chronic pain on adolescents’ school functioning and to identify interventions for managing adolescents’ pain in schools in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A multiple case study design based on Yin’s (2018) methodology was used. Purposeful and theoretical samplings were used to recruit adolescents (n = 10) aged 12 to 18 years who had experienced chronic pain for at least three months, their parents (n = 10), and school personnel (n = 20). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants and through archival hospital and school documents. Data were analysed using constant comparative analysis and cross-case synthesis following Charmaz (2014) and Yin (2018) respectively. Findings: The findings were categorised into three themes: 1) Adolescents’ experiences of chronic pain; 2) Impact of pain on school functioning; and 3) School support and management of adolescents with chronic pain. All adolescents reported that a chronic condition caused their pain and their chronic pain impacted negatively on school functioning, including attendance, performance and competence, physical activity, and social interactions. Adolescents experienced both supportive and non-supportive responses from school personnel, however, when they received school support this helped them to manage their pain in schools and to mitigate their chronic pain’s impact on school functioning. Conclusion: This research provides an insight into adolescents’ experiences of chronic pain, the impact on their school functioning, and how their pain was managed in schools in Saudi Arabia. Chronic pain is a significant health issue that had a detrimental impact on adolescents’ functioning in schools. There is a need for effective communication between parents, healthcare providers, and schools to manage adolescents’ chronic pain effectively. Moreover, a professional development education for school personnel should be provided to enhancing school outcomes and overall health of adolescents with chronic pain.38 0